How Do You Cook A Salt Cured Virginia Country Ham?
Country, or Virginia, hams are very salty in taste. The hams are salt-cured for one to three months, and then aged for up to three years. Smoking is not legally mandated for making country ham. The smoking process turns the ham a much redder color than other hams. Country ham can be compared to prosciutto, but prosciutto is moister than country hams. Country ham is cut thicker than prosciutto as well. Prepare the country ham two to three days before cooking. Scrub the mold off of the ham. Using a stiff scrub brush and warm water, scrub all of the mold off the ham. Mold is usually attached to the ham during the aging process. Place the ham in a large pot. Fill the pot with cold water, totally submerging the ham. Leave the ham to adjust to room temperature. If salt crystals appear, change the water every 4 to 6 hours. Continue this process as long as salt crystals continue to appear. The ham can stay submerged for up to 72 hours. If, or when, salt crystals stop forming, continue to chang
